OKANOGAN – A five-month-long paving project on State Route 215 from Omak through Okanogan is the focus of an open house Wednesday evening at the Washington State Department of Transportation’s Okanogan maintenance facility. The project, which includes extensive pedestrian improvements, starts next week.

This project paves 6-1/4 miles of SR 215 from US 97 in Omak through Okanogan to the junction with SR 20, and two miles of the SR 155 Spur (Omak Ave. and Dayton St.). In addition to grinding the driving lanes and paving with hot mix asphalt, the project also includes more than 130 sidewalk improvements, new street lights, updated traffic signal controls for pedestrians, new signs and striping as well as drainage and electrical upgrades.

Crews start the job Monday, April 21, in Okanogan working north, and are adding Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) upgrades to the sidewalks. Upgrades include ramps and other features to accommodate persons in wheelchairs and pedestrians with vision impairments. Workers will build concrete “bulb outs” at several intersections to improve pedestrian visibility by providing a safe area not blocked by parked vehicles. Decorative pavers to match existing commercial themes are also included.

That work and upgrades to street lights, signals and drainage will extend to late June. Crews will grind and pave the roadway from late June until September, followed by installation of new signs, striping and intersection pavement markings.

During the first two months, pedestrians will be most affected as they are detoured around the sidewalk demolition and reconstruction. When the grinding and paving begins, it will be done at night to impact traffic as little as possible. Drivers can expect two-way traffic with lane shifts through the three-lane sections and 20-minute delays with single lane traffic and flaggers in the two-lane sections.

The project will be suspended during the Omak Stampede, Aug. 7 through10.

“With an average daily traffic count of 13,000 vehicles in this corridor, the project will affect both communities from now through Labor Day,” said WSDOT Project Engineer Kevin Waligorski. “While we’ve tried to reduce the inconvenience as much as possible, we want people to know what’s being done and when, so they can plan for it.”

The $3.7 million project is a partnership between WSDOT and the cities of Omak and Okanogan. The contractor is Granite Construction Co., Rodeo Trail Rd. in Okanogan.